Stiles notices
by bashfyl
Summary: When Derek Hale is fifteen something horrible happens. Stiles recognizes that level of grief and even though he is only ten, he notices. He notices that the happy, beautiful boy who was kind to him after his mother died is gone. He notices that the Hales treat Derek differently now. Instead of care and support like Mama McCall gave him, the Hales kind of ignore Derek...


When Derek Hale is fifteen something horrible happens. Stiles recognizes that level of grief and even though he is only ten, he notices. He notices that the happy, beautiful boy who was kind to him after his mother died is gone. He notices that the Hales treat Derek differently now. Instead of care and support like Mama McCall gave him, the Hales kind of ignore Derek. It makes Stiles sad, so he does what Stiles does best and try's in little ways to help the boy who had helped him.

When Derek Hale is sixteen something changes. He smiles more, but only around a few people and never around his family. Stiles notices him rounding buildings to avoid family members, sneaking around. If anyone knows about sneaking its Stiles and something is not right here. So Stiles does what Stiles does best, he investigates.

When he sees the ugly, blonde woman kiss Derek he is stunned, not just because she is old, but also because he recognizes her as one of the substitute teachers that work for Beacon County. He notices that her face smiles but her eyes are calculating like a hyena, and she has a dark cloud around her that Stiles knows is because she is evil.

They had just had a talk at school about stranger danger and Stiles can't help but wonder if Derek was absent from school the day they taught that class. As that fleeting thought passes through his mind, he finalizes his plans to cut school the next day and have a long overdue talk with Mrs. Hale.

The path through the woods is a bit more then Stiles was expecting, but he had a bottle of water and snacks. It was around eleven in the morning by the time he made his way to Hale House. He was tired but determined as he stomped up the porch steps to ring the bell.

Only moments later the door was opened by Derek's mother. She was beautiful and powerful. She had a cloud of red around her that made Stiles feel safe and protected. What he couldn't figure out is why she wasn't protecting Derek.

"Can I help you?" Talia asked the small boy standing on her porch glaring at her.

"Mrs. Hale, I need to talk to you about Derek. It's important."

She looked at him incredulously, but invited him in anyway. Talia led him into a large great room and over to what had to be the best seating area Stiles had ever seen. It was a square pit, couches lined the walls of the pit all facing toward the center. The corners had tables for drinks and snacks and the center was ottomans. Lounging in the pit was a man, a bit younger and fairer then Talia, his cloud is a kind of puce green color almost as if he has a soul sickness. Stiles knew him to be Derek's uncle.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Peter asked.

Talia gave her brother a long look before answering, "This young man says he needs to speak to us about Derek."

"Stiles, Stiles Stilinski, my dads the sheriff."

Peter waves his hand toward the pit seating, offering Stiles a seat. Talia walks over and joins Peter on his side of the pit. Entering it with a grace that entrances Stiles for a moment. He removes his shoes and jumps down onto the couches. He begins to pace whilst gathering his thoughts, glancing up from under his lashes, darting looks at the two Hales. The more he thinks about the way the Hales have been treating Derek over the last year the angrier he gets. His face turns redder and redder as he paces before finally he stops and gives them his harshest look. The one he gives to people just before he lays truth on them.

"I don't know what is wrong with you people but the way you have treated Derek over the last year has been deplorable. He went through a horrible tragedy and you were not there for him! You ignore him. Cora and Laura and some of the cousins torment and bully him, and you," He flings his arm in the direction of Talia, "You do nothing! He is your son and you do nothing! You let him languish in his pain. You abandoned him! You are his mother! You are supposed to love and protect him no matter what! So why the hell have you abandoned him?!"

A few more Hales managed to slink into the room and into the pit while Stiles has been yelling at Talia. The looks on their faces range from who does this kid think he is, to guilt and shame as his words hit home.

"You are the matriarch of this family. You are supposed to be protecting him, so why the hell don't you know that one of his teachers is meeting him secretly? Why don't you know that she is whispering lies in his ears? Why don't you know where he is after school while that evil, blonde bimbo with the black cloud around her is kissing him, touching him!? Why doesn't he know that you love him? I wish every day that my mother," Stiles voice cracks and his eyes get watery, he swallows hard, "my mother were here with me and I know if she were that nothing would ever make her treat me the way you have treated Derek, nothing would ever make her lose sight of me. But you, you just throw him away, and for what?! Wake the hell up and go and get your son! Be his mother!"

Stiles pulls a battered notebook, the kind the Sheriff takes notes in, out of his back pocket, and throws it down, in Talia's direction.

"This is everything I, an eleven year old boy, have gathered, about what's going on with Derek. Read it. Then do something about it."

There is a low level growl rumbling through the room. Stiles is oblivious to it in his anger. He climbs out of the couch pit and puts his shoes on before looking back at the assembled Hales.

"I would really appreciate it if someone could give me a ride home or call my dad to come pick me up." He says in his most polite voice while still glaring daggers at Talia. "I'll wait out on the porch."

As he strode to the porch, a cacophony of sound erupted behind him. His words having their desired effect. No more then three minutes passed when a pretty woman with a bright yellow, sunshiney cloud joined him on the porch.

"I'll take you to your dad, Stiles." She motioned toward a silver Honda parked nearby, "Thank you for what you did here today."

Stiles hums in response as he climbs into the car and fastens his seat belt. He watches out the window as trees speed by and wonders idly how much trouble he will be in when they get to the Sheriff's department. His dad will just have to understand. It was for Derek.

He starts to think about the way Derek's cloud has changed over the years. The blinding yellow sunshine, so like the woman driving the car, the sickly puce green out lined with beautiful blue, and his current kelly green, shot through with gold, lined with blue, and only a few puce patches here or there. He doesn't notice his eyes or skin glowing while he thinks. He doesn't notice the gasp of the woman next to him, too lost in his musings of what color Derek will be after this.

Stiles hands are drawn to a small pewter wolf resting in the console cup holder. He begins to hum a tuneless song as he rubs the little wolf, thinking about Derek. His eyes flash bright green, the wolf glows briefly, before he and it lose their glow.

When Stiles looks up he realizes they are parked outside the station. He turns to the Hale woman, whose name he still doesn't know and finds her gaping at him. The little wolf feels heavy in his hand and he isn't entirely sure how it got there. His face flushes with embarrassment and he scrambles to give the wolf to the woman.

"Sorry, sorry, I don't know where that came from."

"It's okay Stiles." She takes the wolf gently from his hands and sets it back in the cup holder. "Let's go see your dad, sweety"

Stiles drags his feet, walking slowly behind Sunshiney Hale. He hears her ask to speak to the Sheriff. Stiles sinks a little bit further into himself before squaring his shoulders and looking up at his dad.

"Stiles? Mrs. Hale? What's going on here?"

"Sheriff, perhaps we could speak in your office?"

"Stiles, stay here with Tara." The Sheriff motions Mrs. Hale toward his office and Stiles watches as they disappear behind closed doors.

Tara makes him do his homework while they wait. It's exactly the distraction he needs. When his dad and Mrs. Hale return he is so absorbed he doesn't even notice. He doesn't notice the look of frustrated pride on his fathers face either.

A couple hours later, homework done and fully absorbed in researching changes to local ordinances, Stiles is startled when the door is flung open and two deputies drag the struggling, blonde woman into the station. She is spouting nonsense about monsters and werewolves and how the Hales need to be exterminated. As Stiles watches them drag her to a holding cell he sees the black cloud around her darken, swirl, and if possible look even more malevolent.

Shortly after they disappeared the front door opened again. This time Talia and Peter Hale came in. Each with an arm wrapped around a very pale Derek Hale. Derek's eyes were red rimmed, his clouds patches of puce were bigger then before. Stiles felt guilty for bringing Derek more pain, but he couldn't allow that evil woman to do whatever she was doing. Stiles was still, staring after the Hales, long after they disappeared from sight.

Eventually a deputy brought Derek back to the waiting area. His eyes were redder, his face splotchy, and his cloud was a roiling sea of colors. Stiles grabbed a Reese's and crept over to Derek, slinking into the chair next to the distraught boy. Stiles offers the candy to Derek, his heart lifting a bit when Derek accepts it.

Derek turns the wrapper over in his hands several times before looking at the boy sitting next to him. He stares at Stiles intently, as if trying to figure out his motivation. His voice sounds rusty and unused when he speaks.

"Why?"

It could have meant so many things. Why are you giving me this? Why are you being nice to me? Why did you ruin what I had? Why did you interfere? Why is this happening to me again?

Stiles sighed deeply and wrapped his arms around Derek. "You were there for me when my mom died. You didn't even know me. Sometimes you just need someone to be there. To tell you it will get better. It will get better Derek. I promise. Just like you promised me."

Less then a second had passed after those final words left his mouth before Derek's face was buried in Stiles neck. Sobs wracked his body and Stiles held on as tight as he could. By the time their parents returned, the boys had migrated to the floor. Derek's head was in Stiles' lap, his body curled around the smaller boy. Stiles' hand was stroking his hair as Derek slept and he was humming a lullaby his mom used to hum to him. As the Sheriff and the Hales approached them Stiles looked up at Talia defiantly, almost daring her to say something negative.

Instead of speaking to Stiles, Talia turned to the Sheriff and asked if it would be ok for Stiles to come home with them. The Sheriff peered at Stiles studying his face for a sign either way. Stiles nodded his head at his dad before looking back down at Derek.

Seven Years Later-

Stiles is pacing around his room. He keeps anxiously checking the clock. The last ten minutes before someone arrives is always the longest. It's his eighteenth birthday, and Derek will be there soon to pick him up for their first official date. They had been 'not dating' for the last two years and he couldn't wait to take the next step to actual dating.

He hears the roar of the Camero and charges down the stairs, throwing open the door just before Derek knocks on it. Stiles pulls Derek inside and then pus

hes him back against the front door, pressing his whole body against Derek's while pulling him into a kiss. Derek's hands slide down Stiles' body to grasphis thighs and lift him up. Stiles wraps his legs around Derek and both moan lowly as their groins connect. Derek reverses their positions so Stiles is the one with his back against the door, grinding into Stiles' body. Eventually Derek breaks the kiss, resting his forehead against Stiles', taking in deep, gasping breathes.

"We should go." Derek growls out huskily.

"We could stay. My dad's working overnight."

"It's our first date, let me give this to you. Let me do this right." Derek says, staring earnestly into Stiles eyes.

Stiles nuzzles Derek's face before dropping his feet back down to the floor.

"I love you, Der."

Derek nuzzles Stiles back, "I love you too."

Derek guides Stiles out to his car, opens his door, and puts him in his seat, reaching around him to fasten his seat belt. He drops a kiss on Stiles forehead before closing the door and walking around to his side of the car. Stiles can't take his eyes off his boyfriends body and how it moves while he walks in front of the car. Derek climbs into the car smiling brightly at Stile, starts the car and speeds off.

As the world outside speeds by Stiles is reminded of his first trip to Hale house, all those years ago. He marvels at the gorgeous green cloud the surrounds Derek now, almost the exact shade of green as Stiles' eyes when his magic is upon him. He marvels at the fact that he gets this, he gets Derek and he is so, so happy that this is the first night of the rest of their lives.


End file.
